Post subject: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France thread

Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:37 pm

Because Bob Barker Told Me To

Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:19 pmPosts: 932

I lived in France for years and return at least once a year. I love France so much and it's not the vegan hell that people seem to think it is. Let's parlez français here and write about vegan nutella!

Note that, as many have said, the word "végétalien/ne", which technically a real word, will get you virtually nowhere.

Paris:

1. L’as du falafel (34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004)Excellent falafel—a full meal for 7 euros. It’s cheaper to get take out at the counter, and you can eat it in the Place des Vosges or a little park around the corner on Rue des Blancs-Manteaux. Their homemade lemonade is great. Get the “falafel special”, which comes with eggplant. Closed Saturdays. I think this is the best of all the falafel places in the Marais.

2. Les Cinq saveurs d’anada (72 Rue Cardinal Lemoine, 75005)Mostly vegan and macrobiotic. They have a gorgeous tofu soufflé. All the fresh organic veggie and legumes, and the desserts are super good and all vegan. (ask for whatever you get for dessert with “la sauce.”)

3. Restaurant Ethiopia (91 Rue du Chemin Vert, 75011)My favourite restaurant in Paris. I love Ethiopian, and this is the best I’ve had. Cool environment and nice people. They have an epic veggie platter with samplings of all of their veggie options.

4. Le Loir dans la théière (3 Rue des Rosiers, 75004)Enchanted little tea shop on a quiet corner in the Marais. Good for lunch or afternoon tea. Super cute and comfy, really good food, and fantastic teas. They will do a simple tasty vegan salad or vegetable plate.

5. Berthillon (31 Rue St.-Louis-en-l‘île, 75004)The famous ice cream and sorbet house on the Ile St Louis. They have the best frozen treats ever. I highly recommend their mango, cassis, and cacao amer (bitter chocolate) sorbets. You can get their frozen goodies at shops all over the island, but their flagship has the most selections.

8. Le Grenier de Notre Dame (18, rue de la Bucherie, 75005)One of Paris’s all vegetarian restaurants. Not my favourite, and the menu is very cheese-centric, but it’s quite centrally located. They have a new outpost on the Ile St. Louis too.

9. Saveurs Veget'Halles (41, rue des Bourdonnais, 75001)A nearly all vegan standout. The eggplant dish is excellent. I think all but 2 things on their menu (which are marked) are vegan. Great desserts too.

10. La Grande Epicerie (38 Rue de Sèvres, 75007)Foodie mecca. This is the most amazing place ever for anyone who loves food. A great place to get super luxe picnic fixings, decadent desserts, gourmet ingredients. Also a great place to pick up gifts to bring home, exotic spices, rare sea salt, chocolate. Heaven on earth. Proceed with caution and a credit card.

11. La Nature à Paris (45, Bd. St. Germain, 75005)Sweet little health food shop in the Latin Quarter. Look for “Bio bis” cookies (unfortunately pronounced like “be obese”, which they will make you—they are so good), and Chokénut—vegan nutella (way better than Chocoreale.)

12. Monoprix. All over France. Has everything. Like a little French Target. Most of them have great grocery sections, with Sojasun and Danone soy yogurts, as well as the Bjorg health food line, much of which is vegan. This is the place to get soy milk. They also have the coveted Speculoos spread.

14. Maoz. (8, rue Xavier Privas)More falafel snack dab in the center of tourist hell. A lifesaver when you’re hungry or hungover. They give you the falafel and pita and then you serve yourself from a neverending buffet of toppings.

15. Au Grain de Folie (24, Rue de la Vieuville, 75018)Sweet tiny place with two sidewalk tables, run by expats. All vegetarian, and always one vegan plate.

16. Tien Hiang (92, rue du Chemin Vert, 75011) A Buddhist vegetarian restaurant, all kinds of fake meats, and mostly, if not all, vegan. They are very nice and will be able to tell you what's vegan and what isn't, they're definitely knowledgeable about their food.

Rest of France:

Avignon: La Terre de Saveur. (1, rue St. Michel)Perhaps the best vegan meals I’ve had in France have been here. Wonderful restaurant, thick potages, excellent main courses with tofu and grains. Largely organic.

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 4:04 pm

Can't Dance, Isn't Part of Revolution

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:09 pmPosts: 153Location: Chicago, IL

molasses jane wrote:

1. L’as du falafel (34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004)Excellent falafel—a full meal for 7 euros. It’s cheaper to get take out at the counter, and you can eat it in the Place des Vosges or a little park around the corner on Rue des Blancs-Manteaux. Their homemade lemonade is great. Get the “falafel special”, which comes with eggplant. Closed Saturdays. I think this is the best of all the falafel places in the Marais.

It's been a month and a half since I was in Paris and I'm still thinking about this falafel.

Unfortunately the person I was traveling with was kind of a jerk so I wasn't able to try any of the other places. But oh, that falafel...

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 11:37 am

Has Isa on speed dial

Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:48 amPosts: 81

I've been wanting to go back to Paris for ages. Tickets are really cheap too, my problem was I wouldn't know how to get food. After all, track one of the learn to speak french CD, didn't teach how to order vegan meals. But I do know how to order a double room, with shower and breakfast.

But this list makes a Parisian trip possible. Too bad I now don't have a vacation until easter :(

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:19 pm

Lactose Intolerant...Literally

Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:09 amPosts: 686Location: Berkeley

Are there any vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Cannes? I'm studying at le College International de Cannes next semester and I'm suuuper worried because I've heard the dining hall there is not even vegetarian-friendly.

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:27 pm

Memorized Veganomicon

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:12 pmPosts: 90

Beware of hummus in france! Sometimes it has dairy products in it (madness). But there is this nice stuff you can get in a glass jar in supermarkets there, which is like a really thick sort of spread of tomatoes and olives, and it's vegan. It's so good. I shoved that stuff into baguettes when I needed a cheap lunch.

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 12:22 pm

Because Bob Barker Told Me To

Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:19 pmPosts: 932

Amelie wrote:

Are there any vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Cannes? I'm studying at le College International de Cannes next semester and I'm suuuper worried because I've heard the dining hall there is not even vegetarian-friendly.

I don't know about Cannes--I only ate picnic food when I was there. But the French university restaurants are notoriously difficult for vegetarians and vegans. Can you get a mini fridge and a hot plate for your residence? There are definitely Monoprix shops in Cannes and other grocery options for self-catering. That might be your best bet. Happycow lists two health food shops as well: http://www.happycow.net/europe/france/cannes/ Nice is not far and has at least one or two good veggie restaurants.

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 12:23 pm

Because Bob Barker Told Me To

Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:19 pmPosts: 932

RiotSquirrrrrrrel wrote:

Beware of hummus in france! Sometimes it has dairy products in it (madness). But there is this nice stuff you can get in a glass jar in supermarkets there, which is like a really thick sort of spread of tomatoes and olives, and it's vegan. It's so good. I shoved that stuff into baguettes when I needed a cheap lunch.

You can also get the Sabra hummus at Monoprix and it's vegan and fantastic. It's in the refrigerated section. They also have a great eggplant spread.

Post subject: Re: Paris is not vegan hell! The official vegan France threa

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:05 pm

Built this city on rock and roll

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 1:58 pmPosts: 1308

I wish I had seen this earlier as I just returned from a trip to France.

We went to Maoz falafel and to Loving Hut (92, boul. Beaumarchais). At both places, the food was good. I saw speculoos spread everywhere and I stocked up on chocolate as they had awesome fair trade dark chocolates in regular supermarkets.